>> Sunday, 24 January 2010

Darling should I take the Bentley, the Porsche or the Number 16 bus?

The Five star Lanesborough Hotel at Hyde Park Corner is not a venue to be taken lightly. Upon arriving in the foyer we were instantly besieged by a sea of tuxedos and ball gowns. Immediately feeling underdressed and out of our depth we scarped through to the Library bar to meet some friends for a pre dinner drink.

The wood paneled bar is offset by exquisite table lamps, burgundy leather armchairs and walls laden with leather bound books. A waiter in a white tuxedo showed us to our table happily tucked away in a corner near the flickering fire and opposite the resident pianist.

The Library Bar, reminiscent of the gentlemen’s haunts of a bygone era, is like stepping into a world in which you do not belong but which is utterly fascinating to catch a glimpse. We found ourselves whispering in hushed tones to avoid being noticed or seeming out of place and were reluctant to drag out our anachronistic mobile phones vibrating with the standard string of Saturday night sms.

The menu arrived in an old library book along with a complimentary tower of nibbles. I had a mild panic that the first bottle of wine I laid eyes on was £1250 but recovered to find the cocktails were a more reasonable £12.50.

After the first few sips of my martini the formality and the furnishings started to fade into the background and we settled into our normal banter enjoying the ambiance and atmosphere of what remains one of the finest bars in London.